Russia Readies New Glonass Spacecraft

LONDON — The Russian government still hopes to launch the first in a new generation of Glonass precision navigation and timing satellites this year.

The initial Glonass-K arrived Dec. 12 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, where it will undergo checkout before being mated with a Soyuz-2 launcher.

The spacecraft is designed for longer in-orbit life and enhanced performance, the Russian defense ministry says. It will be the first launch of a Glonass from Plesetsk.

The mission follows the Dec. 5 failure of a Proton M Block DM on a mission to place three Glonass-Ms into orbit. An interim report cleared the performance of the booster’s first three stages, triggering questions about the Block DM upper stage